


Lovely

by Lady_Clara



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Feelings Realization, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22948489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Clara/pseuds/Lady_Clara
Summary: Dimitri joins his classmates in celebrating the Garland Moon by making a flower crown for Dedue.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 12
Kudos: 74





	Lovely

**Author's Note:**

> Mild Cindered Shadows DLC spoiler, not for the following story but for this little Notes section: My heart leapt when Dimitri said the word “lovely” in Abyss, so I threw together this short and sweet fanfic so he could say it again. The thought of Dimitri + Dedue + flowers makes me happy :)

Dimitri, for what feels like the hundredth time this afternoon, curses his inability to handle delicate objects.

“I ruined yet another grapevine,” he says as he looks down at the broken stems in his hands. Guilt washes over him. He and his classmates had spent so much time carefully gathering materials like these vines today for a special project. “I’m terribly sorry. Perhaps it was too bold of me to think I could undertake this endeavor.”

“Come on, Dimitri,” Annette pipes in cheerfully. Of course you can do this!”

“Don’t doubt your abilities,” Ashe adds.

“All it takes is a little patience,” Mercedes says with her signature warm smile.

Beside him, Marianne nods.

Dimitri is spending the afternoon doing an activity he has never done before: making a hair wreath out of flowers in celebration of the Garland Moon. Though it is a common and beloved activity to do this time of year around Fódlan, Faerghus has never been big on the tradition, opting to focus on training rather than crafting. But when his Garreg Mach classmates asked if he would like to join them in making garlands in honor of the Garland Moon, he realized he could make one for his flower enthusiast best friend, so he accepted the invitation.

Now, he and his Blue Lions classmates Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes are sitting in a circle on the grass in a quiet and hilly area of the academy’s campus making flower crowns out of the materials they collected earlier. Much to Dimitri’s delight, Marianne of the Golden Deer, with whom he shares a budding friendship, has joined them so she can make garlands for her house. Also to Dimitri’s delight, some of the freshly cut flowers spread out in the middle of the circle were grown by Dedue. He unfortunately could not join in their activity since he had arranged to help their professor cook this afternoon – _he is a man of so many talents_ , Dimitri thinks with fondness – but even though he is not there physically, Dimitri can at least feel his presence in the flowers he grew. And, his absence will allow Dimitri to make a special gift he can surprise him with later.

The greatest obstacle to his gift making, however, is his own self. Even with his gauntlets set aside, Dimitri’s hands end up breaking the vines he is trying to braid into a wreath. It takes much trial and error and help from his friends before he ultimately finishes the base of the crown.

He wipes his brow with the back of his hand, relieved to have at least one element finished and intact. “Now that this part is completed, which flowers shall I choose?” he asks his friends.

“You should choose ones you think represent Dedue, or flowers you know he likes,” Ashe suggests while he concentrates on threading some delicate rosemary into his garland.

“Maybe some with colors that would complement his nice white hair,” Annette recommends. “Or his eyes.” She sets her garland onto her lap for a moment and looks up into the sky in thought. “What color are his eyes again?”

Dimitri pictures the soft look Dedue sometimes bestows upon him. It is always filled with so much warmth, and it sends Dimitri’s stomach into somersaults, though Dimitri isn’t sure why. “They’re a mix of blue and green,” he answers. “A soft teal, like the color artists use to depict the most beautiful oceans in their landscape paintings.” The color is etched into his memory. “They’re truly lovely.”

Annette and Mercedes seem to share a knowing look. “Teal would have been a sufficient answer, but I appreciate the extra details,” Annette quips with a wink.

“You can include fragrant flowers, too,” Marianne advises quietly next to him. She picks up a pretty white flower, and Dimitri can sense a trace of perfume wafting over from it. “Gardenias smell wonderful. They represent gentleness, hope, and protection.” She holds it out to him.

“Is that so?” Dimitri says as he takes it. “That description fits you perfectly, Marianne.” That earns him a rare and welcome smile.

“Oh,” Marianne says, looking down at the ground. “That is very nice of you to say.”

“It is simply the truth,” Dimitri responds. “It sounds very fitting for Dedue as well. I will include some.”

Dimitri very carefully weaves the gardenia into the garland, trying his best to avoid crushing the petals in his too-strong hands.

Everyone continues working on their respective crowns in comfortable silence. Ashe decorates his with violets, Mercedes laces sprigs of fragrant lavender into hers, Annette packs on daisy after daisy, and Marianne includes some anemone flowers in the garland she is making for Hilda.

After a while, Ashe speaks. “Dedue must be someone very special to you.” He looks at Dimitri across from him with a kind smile.

“He is,” Dimitri answers honestly. He searches for the right words to explain why, but everything he comes up with seems to fall short of how wonderful of a person Dedue is. “I am not certain simple words could capture what he truly means to me.”

“That’s alright. Flowers can express sentiments without words,” Ashe assures him. Dimitri is grateful for that.

A group of pink flowers with fanned out petals and yellow dotted centers catches his eye. He picks up a stem with multiple blossoms cascading down it and surveys them. “These look nice. Shall I include them?”

Mercedes chuckles softly. “Because of their rarity and their symbolism, those orchids are usually reserved for a particular occasion.”

Dimitri knows nothing of what she is talking about. “I regret to say I am completely unaccustomed to the language of flowers,” he admits. “What do they symbolize?”

Annette leans forward with a giant grin. “They’re wedding orchids that symbolize everlasting marriage~!”

“Oh.” Dimitri carefully (but with haste) sets the stem back into the flower pile. “Perhaps…those would not be appropriate for this garland.”

Mercedes looks at him with so much optimism in her eyes. “But Dedue is very special to you, so perhaps one day they will be.”

This whole conversation is making Dimitri exceedingly flustered.

“Awww, you’re so cute when you blush,” Annette remarks. “Your whole face turns red!”

Dimitri grabs the nearest flower that is _not_ that pink one – in this case, a giant sunflower – and hides his face behind it.

He hears giggling from the majority of his classmates until Marianne’s voice, laced with guilt, breaks through the laughter. “I – I’m sorry if we embarrassed you,” she says softly.

Dimitri puts the sunflower shield down and shakes his head. “Worry not. I was simply…caught off guard thinking about marriage.”

“Thinking about marriage already?” a familiar voice says from a distance. Dimitri turns around and sees Hilda walking towards them. “It’s a little early for that, don’t you think?” She pauses when she reaches the group and puts a hand under her chin. “Although, I suppose you _are_ the crown prince.” She takes a seat on the grass next to Marianne. “Sooo, who’s the lucky consort-to-be?”

Dimitri admires Hilda’s straightforward nature, but he does not know how to answer her question properly, so he just stares at her with his mouth open as if he is going to reply. Much to his chagrin, no response presents itself.

Hilda’s brow quirks up in slight confusion, but then her eyes widen and she perks up as if she has happened upon a discovery. “Oh! It’s Dedue, isn’t it?”

“How…?” _Am I allowed to have feelings like that for Dedue?_ Dimitri wonders. _Have I had them all this time, and they are obvious to everyone except myself? It would be wrong to have feelings like that, would it not? I am supposed to focus on my duties as the soon-to-be king, not on my personal feelings._

It is overwhelming to think about. Dimitri clears his throat. “It would be inappropriate to discuss marriage or…or love until I have ascended the throne of Faerghus. There is too much to be done before then.”

Hilda lets out a note of disappointment. “Ugh, who knows what’s going to happen between now and then? We could be in an all-out war or something!”

“Oh, Hilda, do not say such terrible things,” Marianne pleads.

“Right,” Ashe adds. “Let’s focus on enjoying this nice weather and these nice flower garlands.”

Thankfully, the conversation topic is dropped and everyone continues their work except for Hilda, who lays on Marianne’s lap while telling her which flowers to add into her garland.

Dimitri enjoys the peacefulness of this project. He is usually training or studying or preparing for his future as king, so he rarely gets to engage in calming activities like this. He likes the idea of spending more time creating nice things for his friends.

He would be lying, though, if he said his heart wasn’t fluttering just a bit too fast at the prospect of gifting his handmade wreath to Dedue. He takes extra care in picking out the flowers, making sure he checks the meaning behind them, thinking back to conversations where Dedue told him his favorite plants, remembering what kinds Dedue had planted in the monastery’s greenhouse. Dedue deserves the perfect garland.

Dedue deserves everything good.

He thinks about what kind of future would make Dedue happiest. He wants to help him work toward whatever that future may be, whether it entails living in a rebuilt Duscur, or marrying someone he loves and starting a family, or ruling alongside Dimitri. He would do anything to make Dedue happy after all the tragedy he has suffered through.

In turn, Dimitri thinks about what future would make him happiest, but he can only picture one in which he is meeting everyone’s expectations of him. Deep down, however, he knows there is one thing he really wants in the future: Dedue’s companionship. But he feels selfish thinking about it. Is Dimitri’s companionship something Dedue would want in the future, too?

Annette breaks him out of his rumination. “Wow, your garland’s almost finished, Dimitri. It looks great!”

“Oh. Thank you.” He turns the wreath around in his hand and surveys it. For his first time making a garland, it’s not terrible. He wishes it looked better, but he is mostly pleased with the results. Woven through the grapevine are orange marigolds and teal succulents to represent the colors symbolic of Duscur (and Dedue's eyes, naturally), the sweet-smelling white gardenias Marianne suggested, and purple bellflowers that signify gratitude – something Dimitri has an endless supply of for Dedue.

The longer he evaluates the garland and imagines gifting it to Dedue, the more he gets lost in thought. He takes a deep breath. “May I confide in you all about a personal matter?” he asks.

Everyone in the circle pauses and says yes, looking at him with concern. It is not often he confides in others.

“Talking about the future earlier gave me pause,” he continues. “If I may be honest, I feel selfish thinking about pursuing a future that strays in any way from the one I am expected to have as king.” He picks up that everlasting marriage flower again and runs a thumb over a petal. “I am meant to wed and have Crest-bearing children that I teach to wield weapons before I even teach them how to read and write, but that is not the path I wish to follow.” He looks at the garland in his other hand. “Since swearing to become my vassal, Dedue is expected to stand by my side and guard me, but is that what he truly wants in life?” He puts the stem of orchids back in the middle of the circle. “There are times I feel selfish for having my own feelings.”

Dimitri knows he just spouted a mishmash of ineloquent words with little explanation behind them, but he breathes out a sigh of relief for getting them off of his chest and out into the world among people he trusts.

Mercedes puts a reassuring hand on his knee. “It’s not selfish at all. It’s good to look inward and explore your feelings. They’re a natural part of being human.”

“It is a difficult part of being human, I must confess,” Dimitri admits. “I am not skilled at processing my own feelings.”

“It takes time,” Marianne says quietly. “I am not skilled at it, either. But I hope to be.”

“You should talk to Dedue about what kind of future he wants,” Ashe suggests. “I would not be surprised if he said he wants one with you in it.”

“Translation – he’d probably say yes if you got down on one knee and proposed to him,” Hilda says bluntly from Marianne’s lap as she twirls the stem of an anemone flower between her fingers. “What you want and what he wants probably aren’t so different.”

Dimitri doesn’t have time to respond to that because he sees Annette smile and point her chin in the direction behind Dimitri. “You could test that theory out now if you wanted to. He’s coming this way!”

Dimitri nervously turns his head and sees Dedue walking towards the group. He is just as bright as the slowly setting sun that shines behind him, so tall and broad. Talking about him and thinking about him don’t compare to the splendor of his actual presence. He meets Dimitri’s gaze and smiles. Dimitri’s heart is fluttering quite rapidly now. He clutches the garland a little tighter.

“Hello, Dedue,” Dimitri greets once Dedue is close enough to cast a shadow over the grass in front of him.

“Good afternoon.” He looks from person to person. “Your garland arranging appears to be going well.”

“It is, thanks to the wonderful flowers you grew for the occasion,” Ashe says.

Dedue nods in acknowledgement. He looks down into Dimitri’s hands. “Did you make one as well, Your Highness?”

“Yes.” Dimitri scrambles to his feet rather inelegantly. “For you.” He holds the finished flower crown out to Dedue.

“For me?” Dedue gently takes it and looks at it for a long while. “You included many of my favorite plants. Thank you for remembering.” He runs his hands gently across the marigolds and succulents. “These are the colors of Duscur.” He lifts the garland closer to his face and inhales. “I also enjoy the pleasant scent of gardenia.”

“That was Marianne’s great suggestion,” Dimitri explains as he smiles at her.

“You have an excellent eye for flora, Marianne,” Dedue notes. “An excellent nose as well.”

Marianne puts a hand up to her mouth and chuckles softly, smiling up at both of them.

Dimitri looks back at the garland in Dedue’s hand and suddenly notices all of his mistakes – some flowers are woven too closely together, some colors overpower the others, he didn’t balance the size of the flowers when distributing them well enough… “I apologize,” he says suddenly. “You deserve something of much higher quality than my shoddy craftsmanship.”

Dedue shakes his head. “It is not shoddy. It is your handiwork. That alone means it is of high quality.”

Dimitri feels his knees going weak.

“That aside,” Dedue continues, “I am being truthful when I say it is lovely.”

Dimitri’s knees are _definitely_ going weak now. “Oh. Thank you.” He speaks from the heart instead of taking the time to process what he is going to say next. “A lovely man deserves a lovely crown.”

He freezes in place once he realizes what words have slipped from his mouth. Dedue may be a taciturn man, but Dimitri can see his eyes growing slightly wider.

Annette must sense the tension because she breaks the growing silence. “Try it on!”

Dedue obliges and lifts the garland up to put it on, but Dimitri extends his hands out. “Wait. Allow me. I’ll place it for you.”

Dedue pauses, but a moment later hands over the garland. “Very well.” All Dedue needs to do is bend down a bit – Dimitri is quite tall himself – but he gets down on one knee instead, much like he did when swearing fealty to Dimitri all those years ago. Much like one would do when proposing marriage. Dimitri’s mind is going in too many directions, so he focuses his efforts on placing the garland before he accidentally crushes it in his nervous grip. He carefully puts it on Dedue’s head, and luckily, it fits just right.

“It looks wonderful!” Mercedes exclaims.

“It suits you perfectly, Dedue!” Ashe adds.

Dimitri extends a hand and feels warmth as Dedue takes it, lifting himself off the ground. Dimitri looks up, and his heart feels like it’s going to beat out of his chest. The combination of Dedue’s soft smile and the colorful array of flowers on a crown Dimitri made him is too much to handle.

“Thank you for making this garland for me. I will cherish it.”

 _I will cherish you forever_ , Dimitri wants to say, but not right now. Hopefully he will get the opportunity to tell him in the future.

Something catches Dedue’s eye, and Dimitri follows his gaze to the pile of flowers in the middle of the circle. He bends down and picks up the bunch of those everlasting marriage flowers.

With the flower garland on his head and the bunch of wedding flowers in his hands, Dedue looks like he is ready to walk down the aisle. It is a sight to behold, and one that is so bright Dimitri has to look away.

“The wedding orchids have bloomed quite nicely this year,” Dedue comments. “Are there any upcoming weddings in need of floral arrangements? I can supply them with whichever ones of these flowers are not being used today.”

Hilda rolls off of Marianne’s lap and sits up so she is facing Dedue. “I can think of one wedding, but it won’t happen for a few more years.” She winks at Dimitri, who is ready to jump into the waters off the Rhodos Coast and swim as far away as he can. “Speaking of, in the future, what kind of flowers do you want at _your_ wedding, Dedue?”

Dedue looks down at the wedding orchids and then at Hilda. “I have not thought about marriage. The only future I think about is one where I am by His Highness’s side.”

That makes Dimitri’s heart melt into a puddle so big he could water all the greenhouse plants with it.

Hilda tilts her head to the side with a big smile. “Good thing marriage and protecting Dimitri don’t have to be mutually exclusive!” she replies in a singsong voice.

Dimitri thinks about diving into the nearest rosebush and hiding in it forever.

“Your face has gotten flushed, Your Highness,” Dedue comments, and Dimitri is _really_ ready to dive into that rosebush now. “The heat of the summer must be getting to you. Will you join me in the dining hall for an early supper? We can eat cooling foods.”

Dimitri knows the weather is not to blame, but he doesn’t argue it. “That sounds wonderful, but I do not want to leave without helping to clean up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ashe says. “There won’t be much to clean up. I predict we’ll end up using almost every flower and vine we brought here.” Ashe looks to Dedue. “You can keep the wedding orchids. I don’t think we’ll be using those today, but hopefully someone else can put them to good use.”

“Go on ahead and enjoy your supper,” Mercedes says.

“Thank you, everyone, for your assistance in this undertaking,” Dimitri says with a bow. “I could not have completed a garland without your help.”

“It was really fun!” Annette chimes in. “I’m glad we could all do this together.”

“I as well,” Dimitri responds. “I wish you luck with the rest of the garlands.” He looks at Dedue and tilts his head toward the direction of the monastery. “Shall we?”

Dedue nods.

The two bid their classmates farewell and make their way toward the monastery buildings. 

Partway there, Dimitri pauses. “You…do not have to wear the garland to the dining hall. I would not be offended if you took it off.”

Dedue touches his crown of flowers. “I would like to continue wearing it,” he says. He reaches into the bunch of wedding orchids he is holding and breaks one of the blooms off its stem. “You can have a floral accessory as well.” He tucks the flower behind Dimitri’s ear, adjusting it until he is satisfied with his work. Dimitri feels the warmth of the touch linger even after Dedue has moved his hand away.

“How does it look?” Dimitri asks, knowing his face is probably doubly flushed now that someone he cares about deeply has gifted him a flower symbolizing everlasting marriage.

Dedue looks at him with impossibly soft eyes – the look that makes Dimitri’s heart soar – and lifts his lips into a small smile. “Lovely.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is not the first fic I’ve written with Dimitri and/or Dedue wearing flower crowns, and it probably won’t be the last ;)


End file.
